


Cedfia 100 Challenge

by rockinellie



Category: Sofia the First (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, cedfia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-27 01:14:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7597663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rockinellie/pseuds/rockinellie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Each chapter is a prompt for the 100 emotions challenge. In no order, all Cedfia (aged up).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Grasping

**Author's Note:**

> I started with Grasping. I dunno, this is what came to me for that. Grasping for a hold? Grasping for sanity? Who knooows.

It was a pretty astounding thing to realize, with utmost clarity, that time passed entirely different for the people around oneself when one was magical. That was to say, never once before had he noticed or cared that humans aged quickly, that they died in a blink, and that they hardly touched his life for longer than a moment in their entire lifetimes. That wasn’t to be entirely confused with how little impact they had on him emotionally, just that the reality was they didn’t last. Like a goldfish as a first pet, one that flitted in and then out again within a moment. That was what humans were like to sorcerers, quick in life and fast in death, never really meaning much, never mattering beyond that glimpse of time. Some stood out, some humans were so remarkable or so fascinating that the sorcerer would remember them through the years of their lives. It had been ten years, and he hadn’t even noticed it.

The ball room was exquisitely decorated, the room around him shone with the lights of not only a thousand candles but his own magic. No expense was spared. The opulence really almost blinded him, and it was kind of surprising to him that such was required. After all, he felt he knew the Princess as well as her family by this point, and she didn’t seem the kind to desire all of this fanfare. Their time together was so well known that nobody even batted an eye at their close relationship. Ever since the young Princess had arrived in the castle he’d been followed around, called out to, and been forced to accept her friendship. The Princess was persistent and she had a will that rivaled any goat. When she had been brought to the castle following the wedding of King Roland and Queen Miranda, she had been delighted by his magic. So she had sought him out, bothered him really, until she was accepted on as an apprentice in magic. She was quick, smart, and kind. Everything that he, himself, was not. They balanced each other out in such a way that the two were often seen within each other’s company. Mostly on her insistence that he was kind, good, and wonderful-no-sensational. It was to his delight that she protected him in every instance she could, and in return, he looked out for her in most instances. 

At first it was nice to have her near as he desired her pendant, the Amulet of Avalor. The amulet would grant him powers and he would be able to throw the monarchy over, taking the power for himself. Power: his one true desire. Well, until Sofia herself started to wear him down. Constantly being told he was good had ruined his hopes of hurting her. Honestly, he didn’t know when his feelings became affectionate instead of irritation, but they had. So her company, from then on, was met with delight instead of desire of her amulet and nothing more. Indeed there came a time where he didn’t even think about her necklace.

Now, standing in the ballroom waiting for her ball to commence, he realized with acute sensitivity that she was but a goldfish. Really, how many people had lived and died in his Father’s life? His Father was old, very old, and he’d seen his share of rulers. Cedric himself was incredibly young, for a wizard. This was his first kingdom, his first king, and his first royal family. Losing the King’s first wife was hard enough to cope with, but not because he felt any kind of real attachment or sadness for /her/. No, his mourning had been self-centered; people had wanted him to save her, and when he could not, they despised him. Would it be similar for all deaths, or was hers outside the normal realm of reaction? 

Sofia’s name floated towards him, as she was the woman of the hour, she was talked about constantly. The talk snapped him from his realization of how little time he could expect to keep his apprentice on. Shaking his head, he raised his wand up and declared a spell. A moment later floating flower petals came from the sky, falling but never touching the ground or the people behind. There, that was enough of this silliness. He knew there was no way Sofia had chosen any of this nonsense, this must have been Amber. The room was spacious, there were tables covered in sweets and delicate foods, and there were tables around the dance floor, low and covered in pretty purple table linens. Each table had flowers arranged on it surrounded by decorated plates with purple lilacs painted on them. Everything was purple save for the lights, which he had supplied, that reflected golden on the ground like sunbeams. Indeed, everything /he/ had done was tasteful and in Sofia’s interest. The gold “sunlight” streamed from above, from no discernable source, and filtered to the floor like foliage graced the ceiling. The flower petals were reminiscent of spring blossoms falling from those same trees. Sofia liked nature, outdoors, and although she did enjoy dancing, she preferred clothing she could breathe in. Didn’t anyone else know this?

 

Time passed slowly as he waited with the other servants for the arrival of the guests. The royal family came down first, to ensure the room was done and to greet guests as they arrived. Amber was the most opulent, downright shimmering as she stepped into the room in a golden gown. Her head was adorned with the most opulent tiara she could find, Cedric was sure, and her left wrist was covered with golden bracelets. Her right hand clutched a delicately decorated fan, but even that had emeralds embedded in the handle. James, the prince, wore a matching jacket of gold, but nothing of importance outside of his jovial smile. The King and Queen were dressed as usual, in tasteful and modest fashion. It was Sofia, who entered somewhere in the middle, that held the sorcerer’s attention. Despite the incredibly fashionable way her sister dressed, and the occasion, she worse a soft lavender gown with small embroidered flowers bunched around her waist, stretching out to nothing down her skirt. Small pearls were sewn into the centers of the flowers, also growing in sparsity as the flowers did. The amulet shone against her collar bone, matching the amethyst set in her tiara. She was soft and gentle looking, her brown curls hanging freely about her waist, only pulled from her face into a clip with a flower in the back. Stunning and exactly what he expected from her. None of this party seemed to match her quiet beauty and he was determined this was all Amber’s idea. 

Screeching pulled him from his quiet assessment of the royal family, and he recognized the ear-piercing pitch as Amber. He knew at once what the matter was and extracted himself from the wall he had been leaning against, closing the distance between the royalty and himself in quick, proud strides. 

“Princess,” He bowed deeply but quickly, “What is the issue?”

Amber’s face was scrunched up in dismay, “The lights! These /flowers/?! Who did this? I did not request this, no, this is all /wrong/!” She looked apologetically at her sister, her eyes sad as if this were her very own decision. “I’m so sorry, Sofia, your party is ruined!”

“Oh, Amber,” Sofia took her sister’s hands in her own, trying not to smile at the theatrics. “It’s alright, I quite like the lights and the flowers. It feels like spring in the gardens, doesn’t it? And in the end, it’s how much fun we have! Not what the room looks like, okay? All of our friends are coming, it’s going to be wonderful.”

“I apologize,” Cedric said, his expression carefully trained into neutrality. His tone betrayed him, however, and he sounded bored if not well practiced. After all, ten years of watching himself in front of Sofia had made him practiced. “I thought that those lights would suit the Princess, and the flowers are a gift from me.”

Sofia seemed pleased, her face breaking into a bright smile. Cedric felt a rush of warmth spread through him as she regarded him. “Mister Cedric, it’s lovely. Will you teach me the spell tomorrow?”

“If you wish it.” 

There was only the briefest pause where he felt her gaze rested on him for a moment too long. Although his gaze held hers evenly, he felt Amber look between them and he could feel her wonder at what was going on. It was matched within himself, for until now Sofia never seemed much interested in looking at him. Often she’d spend her days sitting by his window, reading tomes of magic. She’d sweep and arrange his room while he made magic. Always busy, excited, engaged, fascinated…never looking at him quite like that. He bowed and left them, doing a circle of the ballroom, pretending to care that everything was perfect. Or perhaps he did care. After all, he had gone through the process of creating the flowers for her, for thinking of /her/ desires instead of doing his usual brainless following of orders. Truly this family didn’t use him to his full potential.

If he hadn’t heard Sofia’s rushing across the polished floor, he wouldn’t have looked up. But he did, in time for her to clasp hands with her Mother. Sofia was earnest in most things, and he could tell from her expression, from how her eyebrows tried to meet, her shoulders hitched a little higher than normal, the tense muscles in her forearms. Quickly both women looked at him, and surprised, Cedric felt his cheeks warm. He turned, looking away shyly, unsure what was going on. When he turned to go back the way he came, Amber was standing behind him.

“Merlin’s Mushrooms!” He cried, eyes wide in surprise, and his hand touched his chest. “Princess Amber!”

“Look, let’s not play games.” Amber’s hand was on her waist, her other flitting her fan over her as if her life depended on it. “You need to freshen up, Cedric. Don’t you have…dress robes?”

Cedric looked down at his worn, comfortable robes, “What’s wrong with my robes?”

“They’re hardly befitting the suitor of a princess?” Amber scoffed, “Really, it’s like I’m the only one with /sense/ in this world.”

“Suitor of what?” Cedric wrinkled his nose in an effort to appear more composed than he felt. The floor disappeared below him, he was scrambling to find purchase on the world around him, fighting for air. It was like suddenly it made sense, like his entire world and purpose snapped into place with a mere sentence. Sofia, who so often sat by his side in comfortable silence, who preferred out-of-doors to parties, whose excited demeanor had become so endearing to him was the object of affection that he was not aware he had the capacity to even feel. “Princess Amber, I do not pretend to understand you. But I’m not courting /anyone/, let alone a Princess. A bit above my station, yes?”

Amber laughed, “That’s never stopped Sofia from doing literally anything, Cedric. A wizard is fine, and she’s not of royal blood, so it’s not as important that she marry someone from a neighboring kingdom. She can really do as she pleases! But /I/ please to have this party be wonderful. So your robes, Cedric.”

Cedric wanted to leave. Every muscle was tense and ready to sprint out of the ballroom at that very instant, but something held him rooted in place. If Amber thought that Sofia felt similarly to how he, apparently, felt…well that was something. Muttering something about her not letting him be until he did, he tapped his wand to himself. Old robes were replaced with a short jacket, still plum in nature. He wore black pants and polished boots and his same annoyed expression. Before he could make a bigger show of not desiring this, Amber said something like ‘better’ before she skipped off. The first guests were arriving and the royal family greeted them. There was a toast, to which Cedric did not listen to as his world seemed entirely focused on the purple-clad princess beside the King. If Amber was not being cruel, perhaps those fleeting fancies, the fleeting moments of almost-realization and the dreams he had squashed could become reality.

So entirely out of it, he jumped when he felt a hand on his arm, and he turned quickly to see the princess herself at his side. She looked pleased, though he couldn’t really pinpoint an exact reason why she would be at this moment. Regardless, smiles suited her, and he let slip a gentle smile of his own.

“Miser Cedric,” Sofia said pleasantly, her voice gentle as if he were a wounded animal she might frighten off. “May I perhaps ask you a question?”

“Princess, you already have. But as it’s your birthday, ask me another.”

Sofia paused, casting about for the right words. Her eyes glanced away from his face and she gently chewed on her bottom lip. She stopped suddenly, not seeming to notice him string at her mouth. “You look quite handsome tonight, Mister Cedric.”

“Amber made me change,” Cedric explained, sighing, “She said my robes weren’t suite for court- um, court balls I suppose.”

“Funny, she’s never had an opinion on your robes before tonight!” Sofia said, laughing a bit, “Anyway, it will make it much easier for you to dance now.”

It was Cedric’s turn to laugh, though his was shorter and more bitter in tone than her gentle, lilting way. “I have never danced before, Princess, why do you think that will change tonight? Handsome clothing or no, I think most maidens here desire the company of a prince. Isn’t that the point?” He glanced at her when she removed her hand from his arm, and was met with a serious expression.

Sofia curtsied, dipping her head, “Mister Cedric, will you please dance with me?” Cedric stiffened as he glanced around, grabbing her by her arms and pulling her into a standing position. He was going to argue, to protest, but bright blue eyes searched his face and he seemed to realize he was still clutching her in his grasp. “I’m not here for a prince, Mister Cedric.”

“Oh. Very well, then, if you insist.” Cedric hid his blush, taking her hand in his as he led her to the ballroom floor. “I haven’t danced in a very long time, Princess.”

Sofia was smiling so brightly, Cedric was sure she was enchanted, and although he had warned her he flinched each time he fumbled in the steps. No other dancers had any problems. Despite his obvious short-comings, Sofia smiled and giggled as he made mistakes, telling him he reminded her of herself, and that he shouldn’t feel bad. Her words of encouragement were lost, as dormant emotions were drowning out any true embarrassment about his dancing. Her hand rested in his, his hand on the small of her back, and only now he was truly realizing how long he’d been yearning for her. Perhaps it started out as friendship, and surely as she blossomed into a woman instead of a girl, his attraction to her grew? He knew, certainly, that he had not considered her as any romantic interest until her last birthday, where he noticed she was a woman, suddenly, as if she had magically turned into one. The only reason, he remembered now, he had noticed at all was he had overheard talks of marriage. At the time he felt his heart clench, and glanced at his beautiful princess, so innocent and full of fleeting life. The next week he had buried her in tomes, demanding she learn a new spell a day. His work was futile, princes still came calling for her. Sofia deftly avoided them herself, and he knew now that’s when he started to hope that perhaps she just…wasn’t interested in boys. That would be better, to keep her by his side until her human life was over. He’d remember her always, of course, but to keep her for all of her time would be ideal.  
Now as her face titled towards his, smiling bright with delight as they waltzed through the room, he felt a familiar warmth surge through him. She wasn’t here for princes. 

“Sofia,” Cedric asked, not realizing he hadn’t called her by her title until she stopped so suddenly he almost fell. He looked surprised but scandalized, at once realizing what the issue was. “I’m sorry, Princess.”

Breathless, she shook her head, “No, no, never again. Never Princess again, just Sofia. I’ve…always wanted you to just call me by my name, Mist- Cedric. Cedric, please, refrain from using my title from here on out.”

“Princess.” Cedric looked at her, perplexed, but he launched them into the waltz again with no complaint from her. “It’s not my place.”

“It could be.”

“Whatever do you mean by that?” 

She stared up at him, her mouth set in her determined little frown she got when things weren’t working right away. Her eyes were so intense Cedric avoided them, “Cedric certainly you aren’t blind?”

“Of course not, princess.” Cedric snapped, glancing down at her and trying to count out the steps so he didn’t have to worry about what she was saying. “I have perfect vision.”

“Hardly!” Sofia snorted, “Please, don’t make me ask you!” He looked down then, and was caught by the burning passion in her eyes. “Just, let’s, please. Be honest, Cedric.”

“I don’t know what question you want an answer to,” Cedric tried to sound cool and unmoved, but his voice pitched a bit at the end, “If you supply me the question I will give you an answer, Princess.”

“Sofia.” 

“What is the question, Princess Sofia?”

Tired, she pouted up at him, halting again, catching him as this time he did lurch and almost fall. Cedric glared at her, but she leaned in towards him, and he stretched back, alarmed. “Cedric…” 

Even sorcerer’s fell for somebody, he realized, as he noticed his pulling away stopped, and instead his hand on her waist tightened in a possessive gesture. His hand that held hers laced his fingers in hers, and he moved towards her face with his own. “Yes, Sofia?”

Sofia stopped only a breath’s away from his own mouth and asked, “What’s your favorite season?”

The world smashed around him, he felt jarred and thrown as if the sky itself had fallen and slammed into his poor body. Stiff at once, he dropped her hand, and let loose her waist. He frowned, did a curt bow, and said, ‘Winter’ before he quickly strode from the room, and out into the hall. It was there he felt his knees buckle under him, where his confusion and exhaustion and surprise finally caught up to him. Of course, his laughter surprised even himself with how bitter it was, of course she didn’t care for him beyond a teacher. But why, oh why, did everyone tease him like he was devoid of emotion? Even the statuary would fall for the pretty little Princess, with her sweet charm and her scent of lilacs and lavender and sometimes the dirt. Cedric tapped his wand to himself, relief flooding him as something familiar covered him. Fancy clothing disappeared as his robes reappeared. Again, he was startled by the quite sudden appearance of someone, a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, from his position laughing on the ground, and was surprised to see Sofia looking back at him.

“That was cruel,” Sofia told him seriously.

Cedric did not look impressed, “Yes, I did not know you harbored the ability to act in such a way, princess.”

“What?” Sofia’s face scrunched up into confusion, but it straightened out again in a moment, “No, Cedric, not my question. That you wanted me to ask /you/. That’s really uncustomary.”

“I’m tired of riddles and stupidity.”

Cedric stood up, brushing her hand off with little ceremony. Sofia’s heels were noisy on the floor as she trailed after him. She followed him through the halls and up the stone steps to his rooms. He only looked again at her when they got to his door. He opened the door, but when he went to shut it, her hand pressed it open.

“Cedric.” 

Ignoring her, he untied his yellow scarf, unwinding it from his throat, tossing it over his chair. Sofia stepped in, he could hear her shut the door gently behind them. He ignored her as he untied his robe, letting it drop to a pool at his feet. Under he wore a simple green tunic and black pants, and he sat at his desk, pointedly ignoring her approach as he opened a spellbook. 

“Cedric.”

He flipped through it blindly, feeling embarrassed. His own emotions he hadn’t had the time to figure out…now he had to cope with her following him, teasing him? Was he so obvious when he was so oblivious that everyone could know but himself? His throat was tight, so tight, he reached to loosen his scarf…but oh, he wasn’t wearing it. What could be wrong, then?

“Cedric,” Sofia’s voice was gentle, loving, as it whispered against his ear. Cedric sat rigidly in his chair, as he felt slender arms wrap around his shoulders in an embrace. “Please, Cedric, just ask me.”

“What do you /want/?” Cedric choked, sounding exasperated, “I don’t even know myself well enough to guess at what I’m thinking, let alone read /your/ mind. Tell me, tell me, I’ll answer you.”

Sofia’s response was quick, her soft lips pressed against his temple, and Cedric sagged against her, losing himself momentarily. He wanted more of that, more of her, and most importantly, he wanted no other man to have the delight he was experiencing, receiving the kiss to his head. Like a Mother with a child, nothing even inherently romantic in and of itself, and he was willing to kill a man for threatening to take it from him. Although none were…none had, actually.

“Have you been avoiding suitors?” He asked softly.

“No,” Sofia told him gently, kissing his cheek now, “I’ve been avoiding princes.”

Cedric’s breath caught momentarily as he tried to piece it together, “Well…but, not suitors, princess?”

“No, not suitors.” 

“Would it be at all inappropriate to ask then, if you are alright with it, if I could perhaps fill that role?”

“What do you mean?” Sofia’s soft mouth pressed against the corner of his mouth, gentle and sweet.

“May I court you, Princess Sofia?”

“Ah, alas,” Sofia said, giggling, “You’re so silly, Cedric. Everyone thinks you have been since last year, when you started demanding I study more. I suppose since you were unaware…yes, you may court me, Cedric the Sensational. But my patience is going to run out soon, my dear sorcerer.” And before he could respond, his mouth was taken by hers in the most chaste, delightful kiss he had ever conceived.


	2. Rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rage? But fluff? Idk, man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starts out angry, gets fluffy, gets angry, gets fluffy? I love happy endings, sue me.

The door slammed into the wall when he kicked it, swinging forward with little to no resistance. No thoughts were in his mind at the moment, the only thing he could feel or see was red. Red, red, he wanted to hurl things and destroy anything that came within his reach. With no ceremony he slammed the door shut so hard a few books fell from the alcove in the wall. Storming to his desk he swept everything on it to the floor in one swooping motion, knocking bottles to the stone floor with the tell-tale tinkling of broken glass. Momentarily his vision cleared, he saw the broken shards and his mixtures pooling on the floor, soiling papers as they found cracks in the stone. A breathy sigh escaped him and he stared at the colorful liquids.

Replaying the day, he could see why he thought things were going pretty well. Sofia had been up that morning, bringing him breakfast and tea while he sorted through what was needed for that evening’s dignitary meeting. After all, being the sorcerer was important to show off to everyone else. The young princess’s help was never unwanted and in fact he had come to rely upon it a tad. Indeed he had almost expected her to wake him with her cheerful cry of ‘good morning mister cedric!’ and he was unsure if he would have been as presentable without her. Which was in itself cringeworthy, as he was hardly prepared even with her help. The morning was pleasant, he had shown Sofia the magic he’d prepared to show to the visiting Kings, they had eaten toast while she helped him find a robe that wasn’t entirely in tatters. She’d teased him, gently, about how he could have nicer robes if he’d asked to be made some. Lunch was nice too, even if he ate that alone while Sofia had to eat in the royal dining hall. She was of courting age, of course, she did have to do /some/ things that fell out of the realm of his apprentice. After lunch he had been surprised when she came up with a parcel, smiling brightly at him while she handed it to him. 

“I was saving it for Wassailia,” She had said, sweetly and shyly, playing with her fingers. “I hope you like it.”

The robes were lovely, as was anything Sofia seemed to touch, and he had smiled in return. A rare, genuine smile that was more than enough for Sofia in exchange. They were velvet with a lovely swirl pattern, and they were thick and warm. Not too warm for the fall weather they had recently, and she waited down in his study while he disappeared into his private chambers to change. When he came out, she had presented him with a new yellow scarf, one she had sewn and embroidered herself. In the place where it circled his throat she had sewn tiny good-luck runes, and right inside the bow was a purple flower.

“Even if you can’t see me, I’m there with you!” 

How did things go from so hopeful and nice to absolute garbage within a few hours? The beginning of the meeting had gone rather well, even the King was looking forward to it. Cedric had felt lovely in his new robes, an actual sort of pride in his chest for once. Sofia had these made for him, and made his cravat for him. Nothing could dampen his spirits! That was, until he had forgotten the spell. At first it was a slight stumble, just the wrong hand-movement, which was normal considering that he had only been practicing for a few days. He corrected it, but it still didn’t work, and at that point he had panicked. A short moment later the room was filled with small, skittering lizards, and he had been excused from the room while a neighboring dignitary’s sorcerer helped fix his mistakes. 

Fresh humiliation burned white-hot through him and he shouted, dropping onto his knees and grabbing the nearest book. His gloved hands grasped the pages, tearing them from the binding as he screamed nonsensically at it. He hadn’t made such a fool of himself in years, at least ten, he was betting. New sorcerer’s had a hard time with magic, that he knew, and he was /new/, he was hardly old enough by wizarding standards. But he hadn’t done it this poorly in a decade, a whole decade! The pain and burning of humiliation had almost been lost in his memories but now it seared his heart like he knew nothing else. Alarm filled him as water splashed onto the back of his hand, and he brought his hand to his face. Bringing it away again confirmed his suspicions: He was crying. 

“Agh!” He grabbed the book and forcefully chucked it at the wall. A satisfying snapping noise emanated the room and he grabbed fistfuls of hair in his hands, standing shakily. He swayed as he tried to claw his way back to control. Everything was fine! “Everything is fine!” His voice pitched and he felt a manic giggle leave his lip as he grasped his hair more firmly. “So what if you’ve embarrassed yourself in front of anyone who matters?! It’s fine! It’s fine!! You’ve lived through worse, you worthless sorcerer of a man.” 

“Don’t say those things.”

Cedric spun, alarmed at the new voice in his study. Before, when Wormwood had lived, sudden noises hadn’t alarmed him. But Crows did not live as long as he did, not even as long as humans, and as such, Wormwood was gone. So the sudden noise, the sudden female voice cutting through his thoughts and room startled him from his panic for a moment. Sofia stood in his doorway, the door shut firmly behind her and he didn’t fail to notice she had secured it with the latch. The princess usually had patience and her face was relaxed into the expression of someone who had come with purpose. Her dress was not one of the pretty, flimsy things she wore to balls and princess occasions, but a simple upper-level nobility dress. It had a simple cut, was made of sturdier fabric, and fell about her ankles instead of just brushing the floor. Usually she wore something a bit more practical for their sessions, and today was apparently no exception. Hair tied up in a ponytail, a few stray curls framed her face, and her smallest tiara sat atop her head. Even here she couldn’t pretend she was normal. Not that he wished she was still a village girl. If she had never become a princess he wouldn’t have made his second, and now only, friend in the world. Cedric’s gaze fell to her breast, though he was only looking at her amulet, she cleared her throat.

Suddenly aware he had not responded he let his hair go and simply snorted. “These are /my/ chambers, princess.”

“Yes, they are.” Sofia’s footsteps were as familiar as she was, and as he turned to look back at his empty desk he could tell where she was going. He reached out so quickly she didn’t have a chance to pull away, but she did exclaim.

“Leave it.” His gaze went from his table to her wide blue eyes, his hand clutching her bare forearm. Her hand was poised right over the handle of the broom, and he frowned. “I am a grown man.”

“Yes.”

“No,” Cedric, rolling his eyes, dropped her arm, “I mean, I will clean this when I want to. You don’t need to come up here doing things for me.”

“Ah, that’s more sense than you’re a man. I mean, clearly.” Sofia laughed lightly, her voice bubbly and irritating against his anger.

“Are you here for any particular reason, Princess? I’m a little busy.” His voice was tight, his shoulders rigid, and his finger gently stroked a piece of shattered glass. “If you don’t mind.”

“I do mind!” Sofia said at once, and the passion in her voice distracted him long enough to draw his attention to her. Little but fierce, she often amused him with her desire and effort to see good in /everyone/. He wasn’t terrible by any means, not now that he’d relaxed on owning the monarchy, but he still wasn’t convinced he was good. And by that logic, he had no claim for her unwavering attention and certainty that he was good. “Look at you!”

Cedric paused, glancing down at himself. Nothing seemed to be wrong, and he looked back at her questioningly. Sofia sighed, and reached out, untying his robes with not another word. Cedric felt the pulse in his throat at once, an unfamiliar feeling of being caught entirely off-guard in the worst way filled him and he felt the urge to run away and hide from her, this tiny thing dropping his robe’s tie to the floor. Her eyes were not on his face, but rested below his belt, and for a moment his face lit up red until he saw her eyes rested on his knees. He looked down, himself, and indeed saw what she meant. His knees, where he had knelt upon the ground, were torn and bloody. Pieces of glass sparkled between his flesh, and his eyebrows arched in surprise. Well, he hadn’t felt that. Until now. He swooned and Sofia caught him, her tiny arms holding him up so he didn’t hit the floor. 

“Mister- no, not here, there’s glass!” Sofia huffed with the effort of supporting him, “No, the bedroom, come on!”

Cedric pulled himself together, barely, and stumbled to his room, falling into an armchair by the fireplace there. The room was sparse, a bed against one wall, a bookshelf with books haphazardly placed in it, a fireplace with a small box resting on it, and a worn armchair. A trunk sat at the foot of his bed, it’s top propped open, some robes spilling over the edges. Some mementos sat in the bookshelf as well, but Sofia’s focus was on her sorcerer. She helped him into the chair, making sure he was sitting proper before she knelt before him, tearing his leggings open at the knee. 

“Sofia,” He took her hand in his, “This is incredibly…go get Baileywick.”

Sofia’s serious expression softened into amusement, “Bother him with minor injuries? You’re silly. If you could handle blood-“

“You’re in a room with a bachelor.” Cedric’s tone was dry and he watched her through lazy eyes, wondering how much she cared about her reputation if she was doing this.

“Mmm,” Sofia didn’t seem to hear him, her eyes drifting back to his wounds. “Stay here!”

“As you wish.” 

Sofia hurried from the room, and he heard her steps on the stairs. Shuffling noises floated from the first floor of his tower. Soon his eyes flitted open as she came back into his room, her face tight in concentration. 

“They’re minor.” Cedric told her gently, “Why do you look like that?”

“I would like to be better at certain things,” Sofia told him honestly. He liked that she was always upfront with her intentions and desires. As of now, she was kneeling in front of him again, pouring oil onto a cotton rag. “Healing is important, I think. I’d like to focus my magical skills there.”

“Is that so?”

She looked up at him, smiling her bright, open smile, “Yes.” She pressed the cotton to his wound gently, before she sat on the floor, pulling his leg around her, laying it against her side. Her hand slipped into his leggings at the tear, holding the back of his bare knee. The touch startled him and he stiffened. “It’s okay, it won’t hurt.”

Cedric let out a short laugh, “That’s not my main concern, Princess. But if you don’t care about your reputation then by all means, neither do I.”

“I don’t believe /that/,” Sofia laughed. “You don’t want my reputation sullied?”

“Of course not. Not by me, anyway. I don’t care about your reputation. It hardly affects me…unless, of course, it’s me that’s sullied you. Then it’s grounds for termination or worse.” He touched his throat, frowning. His fingers played at the cravat tied there, and while she pulled shards of glass from him, he untied it, letting it hang around his bare throat.

Sofia looked up at him, only for a moment, but their eyes met and he caught something shining there he hadn’t picked up before. “That’s cruel, Mister Cedric. Anyway, I wouldn’t let them hurt you.”

“You hardly have a say.”

“Perhaps I could.” Her thumb ran over his knee gently and Cedric lost his ability to breathe for only a moment. Mouth open to ask her what she was doing he noticed her concentration on his knee. “Glass is all out!” She tied the cotton around his knee and moved onto the other one.

Neither said anything while she had calmly tied his other knee up. She stood up, humming to herself while she cleaned up. Moving to and from the room, Cedric watched her go. This was terribly wrong, he knew, to be half dressed in front of the princess. However, she didn’t seem to give two licks what was proper, so he had no reason to really object. Again, he was not a good man by any stretch of the imagination, and anyway, she was often in his tower. By the way she was dressed nobody would expect her until much later, anyway. Night studying could go on for hours, and with a start he realized tonight was the full moon, the perfect night for gathering ingredients. No doubt they wouldn’t even expect her until she groggily ate breakfast in the morning.  
“Thank you, Princess.”

Sofia waved her hand, smiling as she left again. This time when she returned she had a tray of sandwiches and tea, and she set them on his bed, pouring him a cup and bringing it to him, setting a small sandwich on the tea cup’s plate. Cedric took it easily, wondering how she had gotten sandwiches so quickly. Had she rung for a maid while he was sitting? Hmm.

“Here, you can’t heal if you’re hungry!” Sofia chirped, perching on his bed tenderly, just sitting enough that she could be considered sitting but just stiff enough that he knew she wasn’t sitting as well as she could be.

Cedric pointed at the trunk, “If you close the lid, you may sit there. I know sitting on my bed must be a little odd.”

“Only a little, I don’t mind so much.” Her eyes wandered away from him as she sipped her tea. Cedric was beginning to relax when she giggled and hopped off his bed, crossing his room to his bookshelf. “Is this the wand box I made you for Wassailia when I was eight?”

“Yes, of course. Do you think /I/ made such a shoddily painted box?”

“You’ve kept it for ten years!”

Cedric narrowed his eyes at her, mouth drawing into a line as he regarded the girl. Instead of answering he only nodded, biting into his sandwich. Meanwhile she was not done poking around, and to his chagrin she was digging through his stuff, opening the wand box, moving things around, setting her tea to the side to flip through some books. 

“Here’s the little award I made you for being the best sorcerer! Oh, here’s your birthday card from when I was ten!” Sofia’s hands held a leather-bound book, and her face held a soft smile. “cards from your parents, too! How sweet, Mister Cedric! I had no idea you were sentimental.”

“I’m not.”

“This suggest otherwise!” She closed the book, wiggling it in the air before setting it back on his shelf. 

Closing his eyes he leaned into his chair and tried to ignore her. There wasn’t anything in his rooms that he felt was secretive. As most beings, he kept sentimental treasures for future reference. That wasn’t odd, even if most of the positive notes were from the very princess searching his room. It wasn’t until he felt his cravat slipping from his neck that he opened his eyes, only to be met with her own very close to his face.

“You look tired,” Sofia said sincerely, “Let me take this for you.”

“Why?” Cedric gently pried her hand from his yellow treasure and dropped it away from him, frowning. “I don’t need you to take that. Your help has been nice, but it’s time for you to go. So go, I don’t know, pick blossoms or whatever you do in your spare time.”  
Sofia’s lips pursed and she asked, “Do we need anything?”

“Not that I’m aware of, perhaps you should ask my apprentice. I think she might be doing things that are very much improper in a man’s bedchambers.” Cedric’s tone was dry again and he continued his frown at her.

A reaction came immediately, her little leather shoe tapped the ground in annoyance as she bit a reply back. After a moment she snipped, “Well, no matter. I’ll go to bed early tonight. It won’t do to be drowsy for my brunch with Hugo.”

Cedric sat up, knocking his sandwich to the ground as he looked at her. Despite his desire to not seem terribly attached, he did quite like his smart, beautiful, kind apprentice and did not want her disappearing from his miserable life. “Prince Hugo?”

“As if there’s another?” The words and tone sounded foreign on her tongue, and Cedric had to rub his eyes to make sure it was his Sofia and not her dreadful sister. 

“May I enquire what the-ah-brunch is in regards to?”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” Sofia brushed her skirt as if it was a fancy gown instead of her work clothing, and she adjusted her tiara. Cedric looked suspicious. This was too much for his Sofia, this sounded too much like her sister. An idea flit across his mind.

Smirking he shrugged, relaxing into his chair. “Finally. Not to be unkind, princess, but it is about time you get serious about your future.”

A stomping noise drew his attention from his tea to the girl in front of him. Her fists were clenched, shoulders hiked up and tense, and her face was pink and pinched. He expected her to be annoyed, he had a feeling she was bluffing to get him to ask her to stay (must she always need him to show /feeling/? Ugh) but he wasn’t falling for it. No way. So when she let out a little annoyed squeal he looked pleased with himself: she was caught in her own bluff. 

“Won’t you just once, Cedric, tell me what you really want to tell me?” Sofia’s hands were clenching and unclenching, wringing her skirt. 

“Pray tell, what is it?”

“Don’t you-you want to ask me not to go with Hugo, yes?” Sofia stopped breathing after she asked, he could see her chest still, he watched her eyes search him with such fervor that he was certain he imagined everything. Was he dead? There was no way this gentle, pristine, wonderful girl was looking at him like this! He was only a meager sorcerer, barely intelligent enough to perform his own magic that he was born into! 

Cedric fiddled with his robe, suddenly conscious of how it lay open, revealing his simple peasant clothing underneath. “I want you to be with someone who deserves you.”

Sofia let out a little scream of what he recognized as frustration. Although it had been some time since he saw her throw a full-blown tantrum it wasn’t /unheard/ of. Good as she was, she had to have some moments where her good will left her and she was angry. Though not once was that anger directed fully at him like it was now. Blue eyes were like ice, and stung as such, as she glared at him with an anger he’d never seen.

“You’re a /liar/,” Sofia snapped. Before he could stop her she grabbed his cravat, one end in each hand, and she yanked him up, harshly, so their mouths were barely apart. “Tell the truth, Cedric. Tell me the truth for once!” Her hands shook him, though he was relieved that she didn’t shake him wildly.

Letting out a little choking noise he tried to pull away, feeling a blush creep into his cheeks. “Sofia, let go.”

“Not until you /tell me/!” Sofia snapped, dropping his cravat to take his face in her hands. He tried to meet her, sitting up in his chair, so that her grip didn’t hurt him terribly. Brown eyes flicked away from her blue and she snapped again, “Look at me, you coward!”

“S-sofia!”

“Look. At. Me!” Sofia’s voice raised in pitch and Cedric was glad he put a noise-cancelling spell on his tower. “Cedric, talk to me! Why are you being this stubborn?!”

Cedric looked exasperated, wondering how his day had gotten worse somehow. “I’m hardly stubborn, /Princess/.”

“You use my title as if it matters! I’ve never let my title lead me down the wrong path, Cedric, do you think I’d let it now!?” She shook him, dropping her hands to his shoulders to do so. She shoved him back into the chair, glaring at him, eyes glassy and stance ready for fighting.

“Princess Sofia the /First/,” Cedric managed, trying to get a hold of himself. Angry, passionate, physical as she was, she hitting a spot he didn’t even know he had. He liked this version of his sweet, mild, patient Sofia. A lot, actually, and he was losing grip of reality quickly. Before he saw only red, which he imagined she saw now, but /now/ he only saw her. “You’d need to marry a prince to create a Sofia the /second/.”

“I was eight.”

The air between them was charged with something Cedric hadn’t even known existed until this very day. Something he had been blind to, clearly, as she had been such a staple of his life that he wasn’t sure what he’d even do without her in it. Perhaps this was why he refused to see it, because she was destined for greater things than a humble sorcerer could offer her. Whatever he expected, it wasn’t this. She let out an angry groan so low it almost sounded like a growl and with no ceremony at all she had closed the distance between them, pouncing on him like a lioness on a helpless, confused zebra. Cedric let out a cry but it was cut short when Sofia’s mouth covered his, her lips pressed angrily and harshly against his. The heavy, old arm chair was knocked off balance by her sheer force, knocking back. Grabbing at her back he managed to keep both of them in the chair as it landed on its back and he was glad that it was a tall-backed chair or he’d have hit his head on the wooden floor.

“Sofia,” Cedric gasped, pressing her away, “Please!”

“No, you lost your chance!” Sofia snapped, grabbing his hands in hers, pressing her mouth to his again. She sat back, her hands tightly holding his, “Admit it! Admit it right now!”

Cedric floundered, trying to pull away, trying to make sense of what was going on. “What? Wh-Sofia, let go.”

Sofia’s face softened when she seemed to notice his expression and her hands released his, though she did not climb off his stomach. Astride him as she was, it was hard to figure out how to get off him gracefully. “Please, Cedric. I’ve never asked for much in return.”

“What was that?” Cedric gestured at her wildly, rubbing his hair. “What…happened?”

“I’m angry. Answer me.” She gently touched his cheek, “I’m really angry.”

“I-I-don’t go to brunch with Hugo.” Cedric’s fingers brushed his lips, still catching up with the events leading to him lying in his chair on the ground.

“Why?” Her tone was demanding, harsh even, and he flinched a little as she stared down at him.

Cedric frowned at her, “Isn’t it obvious?” When she glared, he groaned. “Alright fine. Princess Sofia, if it would please you…I would like to…ah, um, that is. I would be honored if you would accompany me to brunch. Instead.”

“Hmm.” Sofia tapped her chin, looking thoughtful. She looked down at his incredulous and embarrassed face before breaking into giggles. Cedric attempted to shove her off, but she leaned down, kissing him softly, “I’m sorry. Yes, I would love to go to brunch with you. Shall I have the servants create a picnic?”

“Yes.” Cedric said, stunned. “Am-are we courting?”

“Yes.”

“Have we been this way for long?” 

Sofia giggled, shaking her head, “No. We were wondering if perhaps you weren’t interested in women, because we expected you to ask to court me when I came out last year!”

“Who is we?”

“Mother and Father and I. Amber too, I think, but not James. James is trying to avoid Hildegard. So he’s been busy.” 

The world tilt and Cedric felt kind of sick. So not only did everyone expect him to fall for this young lady, but his future (hopefully) father-in-law had excused him from the dining room because he had messed up his spell? He tried to push Sofia off again, looking pained. Could he ever be respected by the King, even if they were related by marriage? 

“No, nevermind.” Cedric snapped, shoving Sofia off in one final attempt to get her to /move/. She fell to the side like a sack of flour, thoroughly surprised. “I changed my mind, Sofia, I don’t want to court you. Find a prince.”

Sofia’s mouth opened but he cut through her, “No, no excuses. Get out. Right now, see yourself out of my tower. Your apprenticeship is cut off, I do not wish to see you again unless I call for you.” He stood up, trying to regain composure despite his knees and his open robe. “Get out, Princess. Out. Now.”

“Wait,” Sofia looked stunned, from where she sat on the floor of his room. She let out a cry of protest when he pulled her to her feet and started to pull her towards the door. “What-is this about the lizards?”

“He told you?” Cedric’s face burned with humiliation and anger, and he tossed her towards the door, careful not to push her too hard. Shorter people tend to fly easier, he found, and he didn’t want to /hurt/ her, he just wanted her /out/. “Of course he did. I cannot court his daughter, I’d be stuck with him thinking how inferior I am for all time.”

“What!” Sofia dug her heels in, bracing herself against the door frame. “It doesn’t matter what /he/ thinks!”

“Of course it does, you stupid child, he’s the King!”

“I’m the princess!” Sofia snapped, “I want to be courted by YOU. I don’t want a prince! Have I ever shown a slight interest in being anything even remotely royal? I’m more like Aunt Tilly than Dad or Mom. Don’t I get a say?”

“No.” Cedric grit it through his teeth, “I get a say. I say no. Get out.”

“No. You love me.” Sofia said it with such ferocity that Cedric looked surprised, and his anger floated away for a moment. Her eyes were blazing sapphires and her mouth was set in such a way he knew he wasn’t going to get her to leave until he gave her something. “I love you, Cedric. Sofia the Sensational is as good as Princess Sofia.”

“Your fath-“

“He loves me.” Sofia cut him off, “He loves me and they both expected us to court. The lizards are unfortunate but let’s be honest, you’ve made mistakes before and you’ll make them again-it’s not about that! Things happen, you can’t learn if you don’t mess up once in a while. And anyway, they respect you enough to think we’re going to be wed.”

Cedric looked dubious, but she was starting to lose steam. If he kept this up, if he pushed her too far, she'd be gone to him forever. Courting wasn't marriage, although it was expected to lead there...if they didn't get on well, he could cut ties and move kingdoms. But if he let her leave her thinking her feelings were one-sided she might pull away and he'd never get to fix it. In fact he could see himself at her wedding to another man, and he knew he had to at least try. “I see.”

“Tell me.”

“What?” 

“What do you see?” Sofia asked, sounding impatient and looking as much. Her arms crossed, but he reached out and took her elbows, dragging her close to him. Gently, Cedric uncrossed her arms and laced their fingers together. 

Cedric kissed her, his kiss was gentler and much sweeter than her angry, demanding ones from earlier. Sofia’s face was flushed when he pulled away. “I think brunch is an excellent idea.”

“Good.” 

“Princess?” Cedric pulled her into an embrace, kissing the top of her head and gently running his hand through her hair.

“Sofia, please.” She corrected him and he smiled.

“Sofia, you’re scary when you’re angry. Remind me to never get on your bad side.” 

She laughed lightly, squeezing his middle, “You’re the only one thick enough to get me so angry! But I don’t think it will happen again.”

“What a pity, I've never seen a more beautiful force of nature."


	3. Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW-ish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someday maybe I won't end on a happy note. If that happens, I'm dead. So it's my ghost writing from beyond the grave. Ooooo.

The first clue that something wasn’t normal was when both Amber /and/ James appeared in her doorway. Long shadows already played across the floor of her chambers, it was after supper, and she was getting ready for a long night of picking herbs in the moonlight. Such was the life of an apprentice sorcerer. Picking certain herbs was important to do during certain cycles of the moon, and tonight was one of the most important nights of the month. So when the knock came on her bedchamber doors she had expected one of two things: a maid with a letter from Cedric, or Cedric himself (although this was unlikely). Instead her two siblings stood in the door, smiling too enthusiastically to /not/ be up to something, and had asked her if they could come in. Sofia was not used to distrusting someone at first glance and so she let the pair in, though they only looked around before shrugging at each other.

They asked her some pretty basic questions like ‘where are you off to’ and ‘oh, still doing that apprentice thing huh?’ before Amber handed her a candy and they skipped off. Sofia looked the candy over. It was hand-made and not skillfully so, but it seemed sweet enough of Amber to go through the effort. Glancing out the window she suddenly realized she was going to be late, and slipped the sweet in her pocket, quickly slipping into the halls. This late in the evening servants were finishing up their duties and heading to their own chambers, so Sofia was undisturbed as she walked through the darkening halls. On picking nights she wore a simple gown of thick cotton, and her hair was braided down her back to keep out of the way. The only sign that she had status was her ever-present crown and her amulet, both reflecting the candlelight as she hurried to the gardens. 

Cedric was not at their meeting spot when she got there. The moon shone over the garden, and the tree they met at cast an eerie shadow against the grass. Despite the sense of being in some kind of danger (she knew this was false) she sat beneath the tree, running her hands along the grass. Some time passed before she remembered the candy in her pocket. Pulling it out she looked it over, wondering why Amber was making candies. Maybe she was making them for Zandar and didn’t want to ask Sofia her opinion in front of James? Yes, that sounded reasonable. Sofia popped the small candy in her mouth, giving it a thoughtful chew. The effects were almost immediate, her whole body felt like a rush of warm bath water washed over her and held her in its arms, cradling her. Her mouth tasted sweet, like honey and chocolate. An unusual warmth spread through her from inside this time, and she gently touched her lips, confused. 

“Ah, sorry.” She heard him before she saw him, his dark robes blending into the night. “I fell asleep. I’m here now, so let’s get going.”

The sorcerer stared down at her when she failed to stand up immediately, as she was usually ridiculously chipper even on her worst days. Instead, here she was, sitting in the grass and staring at him like she’d just seen the sun for the first time. After a moment of her staring at him, he held a gloved hand out for her. Her small hand slipped into his and he hoisted her up, shaking his hand free when she seemed determined to keep it.

“It’s quite alright,” Sofia shook her head, trying to focus. This was Cedric, her long-time friend and teacher! Even though she suspected her admiration for him had turned into something a little less appropriate, she knew she couldn’t act on it…even if he did look like he hadn’t aged a day. “I’m sorry, I was…”

“Whatever, it’s alright.” Cedric waved his hand, leading the way from their tree towards the herbs. “We need passionflower and skullcap.”

“Trouble sleeping?” Sofia asked curiously, walking quickly so she could match his strides. 

Cedric shook his head, “Not me. I don’t sleep much, Princess. There’s a maid who’s new, she’s having a very hard time with adjusting to life in the palace. She misses her family and can’t sleep.”

“She came to you?”

“No. Baileywick came and told me, and now I am preparing her a potion. Since that is my job, after all, not just babysitting the royal offspring.” 

The bitter tone took Sofia by surprised and she followed along quietly. The moon as bright, thankfully, and the path was well-lit from that. Although she undoubtedly could walk through the garden in pitch black if she so desired. Every month they went down to pick herbs on the full moon, so it was not unusual for them to be caught in the garden at night, arms full of plants, or for her to go up to his tower to drop them off. His tower was cozy, and Sofia quite liked spending her time there. They’d added a study room to the side when she had become his apprentice, just a small nook with two armchairs and a table that they covered in books and lists of things she wanted to learn. The tower itself smelled like Cedric always did, sandalwood and earth and a little bit of singe as if he was always blowing stuff up just out of her view. It was comforting, one of the only places in the castle that hadn’t changed over time as she grew from tiny princess into a young woman. Even her own room had adjusted to her changing interests, and with the passing of her animal friends, she had no need to hide out in there and talk to them anymore. Most of her time was spent in the company of the prickly sorcerer. Where did he sleep, anyway? She’d been to his tower so often it was like her second room, but she never saw a bed or trunk or wash basin. Something tugged at her mind, a small staircase tucked beside the entrance to their study. Maybe up there? His own, private room where they wouldn’t be bothered. Talented in teaching despite hating children, he had taught her many things as she grew up. Perhaps there were some more things worth learning.

Cedric stopped short and Sofia slammed into him, distracted by her thoughts. Not mentioning her momentary lapse in sense, he knelt down and started to collect the plants leaves, looking pleased with himself. Sofia watched him quietly, wondering how delicate his hands were. Maybe they were rough, and that sounded even better. A little gasp escaped her as she felt a jolt tingle through her skin, her flesh prickling into goosebumbs. 

“I almost missed it!” Cedric told her happily, “Good thing I managed to glance down or-“ A hand was in his hair. Two, now, and he was alarmed, turning to look up at Sofia. She was running her fingers through his two-toned hair, smiling at him a dazed sort of way. “Princess?”

Sofia leaned down, gently tilting his head as if she were going to kiss him. Stunned, he didn’t resist, although at the last moment her eyes went from cloudy to lucid and she gasped, pulling her hands free of him, tucking them behind her back. “Whoops, just a bug!” She laughed nervously, her voice pitching. Cedric stared at her, and she knelt to the ground, helping him pull pieces of the plant apart, placing it into her pocket as she went. 

“Thank you,” Cedric managed eventually, sounding unsure and running a hand in his hair himself. “I hate bugs.”

“I know,” Sofia said, smiling a little at him.

The silence between them stretched for little more than five minutes before they had finished there, and he led her further into the garden. Sofia watched him walking through the garden with the same cloudy-eyed look from before, wondering how much of him was robe, and how much was body. He was skinny, she knew that much, but maybe he was surprisingly wiry and muscular but even if he wasn’t, she couldn’t imagine caring. Just to feel his hands on her body would be enough, she decided suddenly, lurching into him again, tripping around him so he was forced to fling his arms out, catching her. 

“Oh!” Sofia giggled, shooting him the cutest look she could manage, “Thank you for catching me!”

Cedric pulled her up, flustered, and his eyes widened when her hands gripped his forearms, keeping his arms and hands on her body. Nails dug into his robe as he tried to pull away, his dark eyes flitting away towards the castle, his ears straining to ensure they were entirely alone. “Princess, let go, are you quite alright?” He hissed, hoping he misunderstood.

“Never better!” Her skin was on fire, little pinpricks of pleasure emanating from wherever his hands touched her. When he stretched his hands out, trying to keep as much of him off her as possible, she looked at him desperately. Nails dug into his robes harder and she pulled him against her, arching her back so their bodies pressed together. “Mister Cedric.”

“What are you doing?”

Sofia’s hands let go of his arms long enough to grab his cravat, tugging him down to her height with a sharp yank. There was hesitation, he saw her eyes go clear for a moment, and with a small smile she pressed her soft lips to his own. Cedric’s mind shut down, his only thought was ‘don’t touch’ and his arms pulled back so suddenly she let out a little whine at their disappearance. After a heartbeat that felt like an age, Sofia let him go and he stumbled back, alarmed and looking around like the guard would jump out of the rose bush and cut him through.

“Wh-/Princess/.” Cedric was a bright shade of red, though he kept wildly looking around, he did not flee. Fleeing would seem more suspicious, he was certain. “What was that?”

“I’ve been waiting ages for that.” 

“Ages?” Cedric was stunned. Of course he wasn’t entirely blind, he had noticed she’d turned into a very attractive woman, and he had noticed she stayed in his rooms at every opportunity and spent nights collecting herbs with him instead of going out with boys her age. Even still, he knew it was too much to hope she’d be interested in someone who had helped her through pranks at school, tutored her in magic when she still had issues turning rocks into rubies. It seemed /too/ personal, in his opinion, and he didn’t expect anything from her. He’d be lying, though, if the idea of getting to touch her /never/ crossed his mind.

“Ages.” Sofia echoed, eyes going cloudy again as she closed the distance he had so carefully placed between them. Her arms wrapped tightly around his middle as she tackled him, shoving him back. Cedric, who at the best of times was easy to move, was even easier to move when he wasn’t paying attention. With a loud ‘fwump’ both he and Sofia were flat on the ground. Sofia let out a little laugh and sat up, sitting astride him like her were a horse. Eyes wild, he squirmed to look around, making sure his life was not going to be ruined due to whatever had gotten into the princess. Before he could make any attempt to shove her or appeal to her, her small hands were undoing the sash a this waist, practically tearing the fabric as she did so.

“Princess,” Cedric gasped, trying to remain composed. So this was a dream, he decided, it had to be. He’d had several dreams like this since she was fully a woman, but none quite so realistic…or one where she was the one attacking /him/. If she didn’t cut it out, however, she was going to be surprised to see he was as much a man as anyone else. “Please, this-highly improper!” His voice pitched at the end, almost a cry as her hands shoved his robes open. Leaning forward, she caught his mouth with her own while her hands deftly unbuttoned his waistcoat. She was going to undo him entirely and that couldn’t happen here-They were in the gardens! In plain view!

“Why so many layers?” Sofia asked, mouth a breaths away from his own. They were polar opposites at the moment, her face was calm and peaceful while his was red and he felt at any moment he’d be set on actual fire. 

Cedric cast about for an answer that would get her off him (in public, even in dreams he wasn’t really into this kind of thing). “I’m burned terribly.” It worked for a moment, she sat back on his lap, hips grinding into his own as she regarded him. Her mouth pursed as she considered it, and then she shook her head, laughing and tearing his waist coat open to reveal his final layer. Certainly she could feel his heartbeat through the thread-worn fabric of his undershirt.

Next, however, was his cravat, and she untied it in a manner that suggested she had done something similar many times in her life. Indeed his cravat reminded her of her corset, and soon she tossed the yellow fabric to the side, a smile crossing her face as she noticed his bare neck and that his undershirt was loose, showing some of his collarbone. Even he seemed to notice a shift, because he didn’t seem to fight her anymore. Sofia tore at his clothes, yanking his undershirt from his breeches, her palms spreading against his bare skin. 

“Princess,” Cedric warned, though his voice was hardly a whisper, “Careful, I’m only a man.”

Sofia didn’t have to wonder at the meaning for long, she noticed almost at once what he’d been fighting this whole time. Still, it was her first experience with anything like /that/, and she was still surprised, stilling her hands to focus her attention on the firm bulge pressing against her thigh. Cedric was bright red, turning his face from her to bury it in his sleeves. 

“I was wrong,” Sofia told him softly, drawing a glance from the sorcerer. “We shouldn’t have called you Cedric the Sensational. We should have called you Cedric the /Stupendous/.”

Cedric moaned, looking dismayed at her teasing, and he covered his face with his large sleeve again. “Why are you doing this to me, Princess?”

Sofia’s mouth kissed his jaw, soft butterfly kisses down his neck to the nape where she sucked and bit at him, eliciting a moan despite himself. Hands were undoing his breeches and he was overwhelmed, really, but finally he reached to her and untied her hair, raking his fingers through it until her auburn hair hung in its rich ringlets around them. Finally his face wasn’t covered and Sofia kissed his mouth again, trying to remember what her romance novels had said. This was going pretty well, she felt. Yes, now she had to reach down and-

“Merlin’s Mushrooms!” Cedric jerked back and away so fast he sent Sofia reeling to the ground, and he scrambled to his feet before she could fathom what happened. “Y-your reputation!”

“Pft,” Sofia laughed, “You don’t care about that. What-ah.” She looked disappointed, but didn’t press. He wanted to know what /that/ look was for, her sad but resigned expression. “I apologize. I’ve been keeping my hands to myself forever.”

“Forever?” Cedric sounded dubious, his eyes dragging along her body. Did all women wear such incredibly appealing stockings, or only princesses? They looked like they felt like silk, with the tiny lilacs sewn into the edge as decoration. Sofia followed his gaze and her fingers played with the tops of her stockings, keeping his attention there. “I doubt it.”

“Are you going to leave me here in the garden?” Sofia asked him sweetly, rubbing her thigh gently now. His gaze was captured and she felt a light thrill go through her. 

“No? No. But we can’t be caught out here, can we?” Cedric smiled a bit, hoisting her to her feet. Her expression shifted from sweetly shy to delighted in a fraction of a second, and she held his hand fast. “I don’t like being in public, don’t you remember that?”

“No. From what?”

“From our previous interludes, silly girl. I really thought that-“ Cedric was going to explain his dreams but as he started to lead her from the garden he was slammed into by an entirely different princess altogether. At first he started a biting insult, but he felt a breeze float up his undershirt and he realized three layers of his clothing were opened and his cravat was entirely missing. He touched his throat when realization hit him, and he glanced behind him.

Amber’s gaze flitted between Cedric, Sofia, and “Cedric the Stupendous”. They weren’t good at being discreet, Amber decided, and she tried to hide her blush by saying, “I’ll find the cravat, if that’s what you’re looking for, Cedric.”

“Ah, thank you.” Cedric flushed anew when Sofia wrapped her arms around his, her nails gently scratching at his skin. He shivered despite himself-Amber had never been involved before. Sudden realization slammed into him like a flying chariot, and his eyes flew open wide and his mouth dried instantly. Princess Amber had never been involved before. Because he hated her. “Excuse me, Princess Amber, is this-ah-a dream?”

“No? Oh, actually that reminds me.” Amber snapped her fingers, looking anywhere but at the sorcerer. Briefly he wondered why, but Sofia so kindly dragged a finger down the bulge in his pants, reminding him and making him strain to keep himself focused. “I gave Sofia a candy earlier with a lust spell on it. I can see it’s working just fine. I’m sorry you’re under the spell, Cedric. I hope you know how to fix it or perhaps she does, if you can’t function under-“

“I haven’t eaten any candies.” 

Amber stared at him, dubious, but then her glance at Sofia showed her her sister had eaten the candy instead. “Oh shoot! I forgot to /tell/ her what it was! James had been following me around, I guess he could smell I was up to something. So I meant to whisper it to her, but he must have distracted me.”

“I love candy,” Sofia said sweetly from Cedric’s side, her hand slipping into his tunic, caressing up his front. “It tasted like honey, and it felt warm.”

Cedric was relieved when Amber looked away, feigning interest in a flower while Cedric tried to coax Sofia’s hand out of his clothing. “I can fix it. Thank you, Princess Amber, for filling me in. Please destroy anything else you have of that batch, it is rather potent.” His voice was dry, and his expression when looking at the princess who was at fault was pinched.

“Yes, clearly,” Amber said dryly, “If it made my poor sister go for you. Feel better soon Sofia. Take care of her, Cedric, or I will see to your ruin. Thanks!” And with a flounce she headed down the path he and Sofa came from, humming to herself while looking for his yellow bow.

The whole way up to his tower was a struggle, and he desperately tried to keep her hands to herself. Sofia stole kisses, grabbed him, and pulled at his clothing the entire way. When they were safely in his tower her ran his hands through his hair, dropping her own as soon as he’d barred the door. Well, he should have seen that coming. What with her practically throwing herself at him, and in the /gardens/ where anyone could (and had, in this case) come across them. He strode across the room, trying to ignore his own desire as she cooed something at him. Blocking it out, he brought out spell books, flicking through them anxiously. 

“Cedric,” Sofia’s voice was hot on his neck, and he stiffened. “Please, Cedric, I’ve been waiting for so many years. I had no idea you /dreamed/ about me.” Her small hands wrapped around his waist, one slipping into the front of his breeches before sense came back to him to stop her. Cedric had not had another person this close in a long time and he felt his knees start to give out. He gripped the table in both hands, holding himself up. 

“Sof-“ Her name was cut off by a moan, and Sofia smiled behind him while she kissed his neck, dragging her free hand around his waist and down his back, gripping his ass firmly. 

Nibbling on his neck she whispered sweet things in his ear, about how much she’d thought about him, how much she admired him, how long she’d waited. Cedric wanted to believe them, he did want to believe he was worthy of such admiration and love from this young woman who held so much promise and hope in her. Hope, however much he tried to stifle it, fluttered in his chest. Lust spells would make he want him sexually, sure, but all these things she were saying weren’t from that. Desiring him could be passed off as lust, but /admiration/ was distinctly different. Although her hands were unskilled, Cedric was easy to come undone with her sweet words. That was what really did it, he knew, because nobody ever talked to him like he mattered. Here was this beautiful, intelligent woman who loved him. Well, at least admired him greatly. 

“I’d like to see your chambers.” 

Her voice startled him out of his revere and for a moment he had completely been lost to emotion and touch, but now he jerked away again, pulling her hand out of his pants with a longing groan. Damn, he had been so close to just letting her do whatever she desired with him, too, but he couldn’t. Not with her under a lust spell, it wasn’t fair. Not that he’d always been the /best/ guy, sure, but he wasn’t about to go having relations with a woman who wasn’t herself.

“N-no, Princess, I think that’s quite enough for today. We have to lift the spell on you.”

Sofia regarded him, her lips pushed into a pout and her blue eyes staring wide at him. They stood for a moment, sorcerer breathing heavy and disheveled while she was pristine. A longer pause while she stepped away, seeming to think to herself. Sofia’s hand gently went up to her crown, touching it while she faced away from Cedric. There was no time to wonder, as she turned back to gaze at him now, blue eyes fiery in their intensity.

“A trade.”

“What?” Cedric had no idea what a /trade/ could be. He was clearly at a disadvantage in this scenario, the proof stiffly standing between them. “A trade of what?”

Astonishment filled him almost at once. Sofia’s hands went towards her crown, paused and instead went to her amulet, unclasping it and holding it out to him. “Give me what I want, and I will give you what /you/ want.”

His mouth was dry and his head was reeling. The Princess was willing (wanting?) to trade her amulet for sex. With him. For someone who was /more/ than willing to do it when she wasn’t under a lust spell. But this way…well, he could have both, right? Both the amulet and the princess. If she was offering it, she must know he wanted it, and fair enough as now his eyes stared at the purple jewel with a certain kind of hunger. Her arm did not falter, she continued to hold it towards him as she waited for a verdict. This was madness. 

“Princess. You’re not in your right mind.” Cedric spoke slowly, trying to convince himself as he convinced her. “This is not who you are. That amulet means the world to you.”

“You’ve wanted it for years.” Sofia said simply, “Now you can have it. Here. Take it, Cedric.”

“You knew?”

“You’re not incredibly secretive. Wormwood talked a lot and he felt similarly to you. Really, it was like he /was/ you, only he could fly.” Sofia’s mouth tugged into a small smile, “I want you, Cedric. An even trade. You for the amulet.”

/That/ was interesting and he frowned, “Me?”

“Yep! I get to keep you. I get you, and you get this, and whatever you plan on doing with it.” Sofia waved the gem back forth, “But I get you. All of you, you can’t be with anyone else.”

A scoff came from the man and he turned from her, flipping through his spellbook again, “Now I know you’re teasing, Princess. I do believe you are going crazy from this.” Her hands were on him again, he felt weight in his pocket, and then her bare hands slipped up his shirt, caressing his chest. 

“Please.” 

“This is ludicrous, Sofia.” His hand slipped into his pocket, pulling out the amulet. He’d worked so hard for this stupid amulet, and now he didn’t want it. She was /offering/ it to him, flat-out, all he had to do was agree to remain faithful to her. Humans didn’t live so long, he could do that. It wouldn’t even be hard, he did care for her, and he even fancied he loved her. Thumb sliding over the jewel he tried to focus on the book in front of him as her hands slipped back into his pants. This had to be some kind of test. There, that was it. A test. He could pass a test! Those were simple. A moan escaped him, and as he reeled from her tender caresses he saw it, the counter spell. He quickly grabbed his wand and, panting, recited it, pointing it over his shoulder. The effect was immediate, as her hands froze and then yanked free from him, and when he curiously looked back her face was the brightest shade of red he’d ever seen. Relief filled him and he turned, sagging against the table and closing his eyes, thanking everything worked out.

Sofia’s eyes looked over her handiwork through her fingers, embarrassment filing every pore. Oh, boy. His breeches flap was undone, his waistcoat was undone, his cravat was missing, and his hair was disheveled. Not to mention the proof of his arousal was still quite prominent. The memories were hazy, since she popped the candy, and the last twenty minutes or so were as if she had too much wine at a party.

“Mister Cedric.”

Dark eyes met her blue as soon as his name was spoken, and relief made him almost collapse. It was his Sofia, finally, who looked back. The only reason he could tell was she was mortified, as most people were after a lust spell. He was going to say something, but his blood boiled a bit when he realized she was still looking him over, her eyes trailing…Oh, /shoot/. Coughing he wrapped his robe around him, holding her amulet out while his cheeks tinged pink.

“It’s forgotten, Princess. Take this and go.”

Sofia reached out for the amulet, but her hand grasped his instead, tugging gently. “Do you dream of me?”

“What.” 

“You said, in the garden, you said that we had ‘previous interludes’.”

Cedric made an unearthly kind of whining noise, not unlike a teapot that was so hot it was going to explode. “So I did!” His voice was so high Sofia was certain only dogs could hear it.

“So you do?”

“Ah, alright, you know, you stay, I’ll go.” Cedric set the amulet on his desk and rushed for the door, but he was blocked by the stubborn girl. “Sofia.”

Her face was set into a determined frown and she had her arms flung wide to block him from the only exit. “Cedric.”

“Yes.” Cedric gripped his hair, letting go of his robes. He wished he had missed her staring at him longingly, it was doing /nothing/ for his current position. “Are you intent on embarrassing me thoroughly? I’ve dreamt about you, yes, and they were…more like before, yes. It only started recently.” He held his hands up, “Not while you were, well, anyway. I honestly thought it was a dream or I’d have stopped you right away.”

Sofia seemed to work through that and then finally smiled, “Well, isn’t it great?” When she was met with a doubtful look she continued, “This is perfect. I’m cured, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Then you have no issue…?”

Cedric looked mortified and shifted on his feet, “No. No issue.”

“It’s perfect, Mister Cedric.” Sofia clapped her hands before she pounced on him, dragging him down with her to the floor. “I’m cured, no lust potion.”

“It must-not worked.” Cedric was cut off by her mouth on his, her hands shoving up his shirt so she could kiss his bare chest. He panted a little, grabbing at her hair, “Sofia-st-“

“You want me?” Sofia asked softly, and he glanced down at her. She had stilled when he grabbed a fistful of her pretty curls, and she had her hands at the buttons of his breeches, ready to remove them from him. “I want you.”

“Lust potion?”

“No, you said it was gone. Is it really so hard to believe I like you, Mister Cedric?”

“Yes.” Cedric was serious, no embarrassment this time, “Yes, it is. You are so much my very opposite, Princess.”

Sofia looked delighted and leaned in to kiss him, sweetly and gently, “Then we’re perfect. We can make it official tomorrow morning, but for now, let me solve this issue I’ve presented you with. And we’ll deal with /Amber/ tomorrow too.”

“She’s very irresponsible, this sister of yours. So are you, actually. You shouldn’t be giving people your amulet.” 

“I didn’t,” Sofia said, and when he glanced at his desk she amended, “I gave /you/ my amulet. You aren’t people. I’ve never willingly given it to anyone else, you know that.”

Well, there was that. As he readied himself to argue she kissed his navel, distracting him entirely. They were both certain these actions were entirely her own, and he realized he didn’t mind making anything official. If he could keep Sofia for his own he would be glad. And now that he knew she knew about the amulet, well, there were no secrets between them. Finally he relaxed under her touch, closing his eyes and giving in.


	4. Shame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sofia finds out Cedric was after her amulet all these years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to rewatch two episodes to write this. I tried to watch a third but couldn't find it. So forgive me if it's a bit off.
> 
> The way sorcerers work in this universe is different than canon in StF. It's more like how it is in "The Two Princesses of Bamarre". Basically they age really, really slow, and usually live for several hundred years. Marriage between humans/sorcerers is fine, but many find it useless as humans die easy. This isn't relevant to this chapter, I just thought it would be good to clarify.

The day was warm and for a moment Sofia regretted choosing today to garden for herself. The practice had started shortly after her faithful friend, Clover, had passed away. The rabbit loved to eat from the garden and when he’d gone she decided the best thing to do was to create her own plot of garden to honor him. After all, it would be weird to no longer go down to the garden at all. The plot was not large and she often tended to it herself. However sometimes, like on days like this, she let the gardeners deal with the heat. In this case she had awoken kind of restless and hoped the dirt under her nails would rekindle her desire to explore the natural world instead of the magical. Gardening was therapeutic usually, but as her dress dampened from her sweat she was starting to wish for a cold bath. A floppy hat was on top of her head, blocking the sunlight from her face and neck. Her auburn hair was pulled into a tight braid that hung down her back, and the only thing that designated her from a regular gardener was her pretty amulet which hung down as she kneeled over her patch of dirt. 

Finally she rocked back on her heels, sighing and rubbing a hand across her forehead. Her dress was dirty from the work, but it didn’t matter much as it was one she had made specifically for this. The lavender gown was of thin cotton with a looser waist than any other dress she owned. Sofia started when a bird landed on her shoulder, though after the initial surprise she smiled.

“Hello, Wormwood.”

“Princess,” Wormwood cawed, pointing one beady eye in her direction. He didn’t really like too many people, but he did get used to them. Sofia was someone he was used to, but mostly because she hung around his master so often. Both Sofia and Cedric had been surprised Clover went first, since Wormwood was much older, but being made from a rock probably helped. “Cedric has locked himself in his chambers, and I want food. Perhaps we can go get him together.”

Sofia laughed, pulling the hat from her head and setting it on a bench as she walked by. Together they headed for the nearest door to the castle. “Alright, we shall go wake up Mister Cedric together. How come you don’t do it?”

“The wood of his door is thick, much thicker than /me/.” 

“Well, that’s a reason.” Sofia said cheerily, humming as she made her way through the halls. After they got into a relatively private hall she asked the raven, “How do you communicate with him?”

An imitation of a shrug came from the bird and he said, “As best as I can. It would be easier if he had ever actually gotten your amulet, but he did not, and he has since given up.”

Sofia’s hand fluttered to the pendant that hung against her breast, “He wanted it?”

“Of course,” His beak tilted up as if he were cocky, “Cedric was trying to get that amulet before /you/ were even a princess. When you got it instead he went nuts trying to get it from you. I do not pretend to be blind to why he stopped, but I find him foolish to give up all that power for your friendship.”

“Well, hold on, he couldn’t have tried that hard. He’s a sorcerer, and I have it still.” Sofia’s steps had slowed, but they quickened again when she decided the raven was lying. “If he had wanted it so badly, I’m sure he would have gotten it.”  
“He did try, whether or not you believe that. Do you remember, by chance, when you were asked to become his apprentice?”

Sofia nodded dumbly, waiting for some of this to start making sense. 

“Well, he didn’t want to help you learn some baby spell of course. But if you were in the tower he’d have time to create the invisibility potion.” Wormwood shifted on her shoulder, fluffing his feathers up. “Neither of us cared much for you. Anyway, if you were there all the time he could turn invisible and take your pretty little amulet for himself. The power of the Amulet of Avalor could make it so he could take over the kingdom.”

“Yes, but he didn’t.”

Ravens could not scoff, but he cawed. “No, he went soft. You left him a little heart of rubies and turned yourself into a lizard so he could save face. He is not the most intelligent of humans. He tried again, however. At every opportunity, honestly. Even when you needed help with that evil fairy woman he was more incensed she was after /his/ amulet than the fact she had the family in her power.”

“He helped me then, too.”

“Alright, if you are determined to believe he’s so good.”

They walked in relative silence, Sofia’s leather shoes quiet on the marble floors. Her peasant clothing blended into the workers, and even now her head had no tiara on it, so for once it was relatively bare. Nothing separated her from the working class of the castle, and she slipped through the halls easily. The staircase to Cedric’s tower was approaching when finally Wormwood made a chuckling noise.

“I’ve got it.”

“What have you got, Wormwood?” Sofia asked.

“Do you remember Oona? The sea monster who took her. That was him. I was the tiny squid in the bucket.” He cawed and flew off her shoulder, flying in a circle around her as if he had won. “He kidnapped your little friend, he held her hostage while he tried to figure out how to steal her little comb. When you showed up he was willing to ignore you, but when you got /involved/ he was going to make you disappear!” 

Sofia went cold. Although she was lost to herself her body kept moving, climbing the stairs to Cedric’s rooms without realizing she was doing so. Her mind was racing, flipping through her memories of Cedric and his fascination with her amulet. Yes, now that Wormwood had mentioned it, he did say things like ‘his amulet’ and ‘it’s so nice to see the amulet’ instead of /her/. It had died out a few years back, entirely, and he never brought it up anymore…but still. Maybe their entire friendship was made out of a lie. Every early memory of Cedric was suddenly sullied and looking back on it she could see several instances where her desire to see him as being good over-rode what she was being presented with.

The door was rarely locked. Cedric saw no use in locking it, as Sofia was his only regular visitor and she knew where a key was anyway. So Sofia only pushed the door open, and stepped into the empty main room of his tower. For a moment she wondered if she’d have to go get him, but his bedroom door opened a moment later, his lanky figure appearing in the door. His robes were open, the sash missing. At first he didn’t notice her, stepping down the stairs into the main room. When he /did/ see her he looked surprised.

“Princess Sofia! Are you quite alright?”

“Perfect.” Sofia heard herself answering, though after a moment she added, “Wormwood came and got me, asking me to wake you up.”

“Oh, did he?” Cedric didn’t look impressed, only amused. “Did you look in a mirror before coming here, Princess?”

Sofia looked puzzled and shook her head, “No, but Mister Cedric, I have a question for you.”

“Go on, then.” Cedric stretched as he walked to his desk, sitting on his stool and looking at her expectantly. “Your face is covered in dirt, Princess Sofia, what were you doing?”

“Gardening. Listen, Wormwood found me in the garden and asked me to get you because he’s hungry.”

“Did he now?” Cedric filled Wormwood’s dish, smiling lightly. “What else did he tell you?” The amulet of Avalor had powers, but he was pretty certain by this point he knew most of what she could do. And that was…well, he wasn’t sure what she used it for honestly. Nothing spectacular, he was sure.

“Can you tell me what you know about mermaids?”

The change in subject got his attention and he closed the book on his desk, looking at her fully now. “Why are you curious, Princess? Been seeing some lately?”

“Not lately.”

“Ah, that’s right, the small mermaid princess you met on vacation.” 

Sofia looked impatient and briefly she wondered how he remembered everything so well. It wasn’t his memory, none of those mermaids were /his/ friends. Yet if she prompted him he could remember most of her life with little help from her. Previously she had noticed he would go ‘oh yes that time Princess Amber was mad you were good at sewing’ if she brought up a memory. Despite what Wormwood had told her, he had to care on some level. That she was sure of. But what level, that was the real question.  
“Oona, yes.” Sofia walked around his workshop, observing the room she had spent her days in since she was little. When she had reached ten she had asked if she could become his real apprentice, fully, and he had agreed. She was magically adept and he wanted her on his side. “Do you remember her?”

“Ah, yes. She was blonde.” Cedric looked at Wormwood curiously, wondering if she could talk to animals. Not the weirdest gift it could have given her. “Princess, can you /talk/ to Wormy?”

A short nod was his response and suddenly the color left his face and he looked worried. “Maybe you shouldn’t have had an animal, Mister Cedric.”

Cedric’s throat was dry but he managed a raspy, “Why is that?” 

“Haven’t you spent enough of my life lying to me?” Sofia tapped his desk, frowning at him. Cedric hadn’t noticed her get so close and he swallowed hard. “Be forward with me, I deserve it. I thought we were friends, Mister Cedric. This whole time. What, a decade? A decade of my life. You’ve lied through it all.”

“No.” It wasn’t really a statement, it was a lingering hope. The word was empty and desperate and Sofia waved it out of the air, looking at him coldly. Their eyes met, close in height with him seated.

“More lies.”

“No, Princess, you don’t understand. Yes, when we met, I wanted your amulet.” 

“I understand that now. All those times I thought you were helping me! In reality it was to protect this stupid amulet!” Sofia grasped it in her hand, fury riding through her now. No, not fury: disappointment. Heartbreak. A million feelings but /anger/ wasn’t really there beyond a slow burning in her stomach that told her she should be mad. That she knew, that she should be mad, but she wasn’t. She was hurt, desperate, and anxious to hear she was wrong. “Every step of the way, wasn’t it? Everything you did.”  
“Not everything!” Cedric said desperately, afraid to meet her eyes. There were few times he couldn’t face his own deeds and this was one of them. Now he was afraid to see the pain behind her eyes. They’d been spending quite a few days together, increasing in frequency as she grew up and had to spend less time at Royal Prep. Lately it was most days, with a break here and there. In other words: he knew her. She wasn’t mad, she was /hurt/. That was worse. He could deal with being shouted at, threatened, hit, whatever. Seeing her hurt was going to hurt him, too, and he was a coward in his heart.

Sofia touched his shoulder, looking earnestly at him. Finally his brown eyes met hers and he flinched at the hope there. “What, then?”

Reaching for anything in his memory to contradict her he finally choked, “Apprenticing you.”

“I’m closer. I’m cleaning your rooms, organizing your things, all while nearby with the amulet. Try again.”

“Sofia, please,” Cedric whined, “I’m so sorry, I never meant to hurt you, I just…I wanted to be somebody.”

“Somebody?” Sofia laughed softly, “You were my idol. I defended you against /everyone/, constantly, my whole life! You had my love from the moment we met. ‘Our sorcerer is the best’ I’d tell everyone, deflecting blows against your character like it were my own! And this whole time you kept me near not because you felt the same for me, but because I held magic you were desperate for. What was your plan?”

“To take the crown.” 

“What about me? What after?”

Cedric’s grip on his chair was so tight his knuckles were white and he had dropped his gaze again. “I stopped trying for the amulet, it wasn’t going to work for me anyway. It cursed me.”

“What.” Her tone was so flat it startled him into looking at her, and Sofia’s eyes were blank. Her whole body was slack and her eyes were searching him, though any emotion was devoid. “What?”

“I…I took your amulet. Once. Switched it for a fake. It cursed me, for stealing it. Do you remember…?”

Sofia flinched this time, pulling away, shaking her head, “No. That’s why you wanted to go to the village? That’s why you wanted to do good deeds? That’s why you asked for my help to be /good/?! So you could be evil without being punished?!” Sofia’s hands pressed her cheeks and her eyes welled up. Her next words were forced, tense, “With each deed performed, for better or worse, a power is granted, a blessing or curse.”

“Ah, yes. That’s why I had to give it back. It turned my arms to stone, I couldn’t move. I like to think I would have given it back regardless but…I don’t know, for sure. When you came telling me yours was broken, I swapped it back. And my curse was gone, and you were happy again. I never wished you harm, Princess.”

“Hard to believe that coming from a decade-long liar.” 

Cedric stared at the floor, face red, “Yes, that is fair. I thought you might figure me out sooner. Not that I wanted you to.”

“Yes, to keep my amulet close to you.” Sofia spat it at him, wrapping her arms around herself.

“No. Listen, please. I apologize for hurting you, Sofia. It was not…the goal.”

“The goal was only to take over the kingdom and kick us out.” 

Cedric rubbed his head and peeked at her. Sofia’s cheeks were streaked with tears, the tracks clear in her dirty skin. One hand was curled around the amulet, the other in a fist at her side. “That…I never got that far. I got as far as being king. Maybe making Roland serve me, I think, but nothing beyond that. You and the other two were never included and Miranda is fine. You must understand,” His pleas weren’t getting him very far, he could tell by how her jaw worked. Well, he’d try anyway. “All my life I’d been teased and told I was no good. I was bad at everything, just because I had a little stage fright. When you came along, you changed my life for the better. Sofia, you taught me how to be a better me. And when I came out the other side, when you helped me time and time again prove that I was /better/, really better…I didn’t want to hurt you. Hurting you wasn’t in the plan at the beginning, but after all that, well. You’re my only friend. My best friend, sorry Wormy.”  
Sofia’s head inclined as Wormwood cawed something and she managed a little smile. “He says he’s an accomplice, not a friend.”

“That sounds like wormy.” Cedric rubbed his neck, “I never wanted you to /leave/. Not when we got to know each other. You mean more to me than most things, Sofia.”

“I won’t trust you again.”

The words stung, of course they did. He knew they would. A hissing noise escaped him as the words found its target and his hand went to his chest, trying to dull the ache there. He found himself nodding. “Of course, Princess.”  
“I can’t believe that I trusted you for so long. Sang your praises. Loved you! Loved you like you were /good/ and kind!” Sofia turned on her heel. Cedric stood, thinking she was going to be leaving, but she only paced and he sat back down. “I am so disappointed in you. You had so much potential. So much in you wanted to be good, and you squashed it! I hope you’re happy with yourself!”

“Far from it.” 

Cedric’s eyes dropped from hers when she turned to stare at him. His face was flushed again and he couldn’t remember the last time he was scolded like a small child. A long time ago, back when his Father was the royal sorcerer. Probably…forty or so years.

“You deserve nothing, from anyone, for as long as you live!” Sofia cried, “Nothing!”

“I know. I’m rotten. I never meant to drag you into my mess.”

“I am your mess! Can’t you see? I’ve been your mess since I stepped foot in this stupid castle! I admired you so much, Mister Cedric, so badly I wanted you to live up to everything I saw in you. I ignored, blindly, anything that might have directed me to the conclusion that you were anything but a good, kind, gentle man. And you were, to my face. What have you said about me behind my back?”

“Nothing! That, I assure you, I’ve said nothing.” Cedric looked at Wormwood when he cawed something at Sofia, and her face softened a little.

Sofia turned back on the sorcerer, “Fine. I think…”

“I won’t blame you, if you leave this tower and never come back.” Cedric fidgeted in his seat, not meeting her eyes as she stared.

“What? That’s silly. I’m not leaving you, Cedric.” 

His first name, the ‘mister’ dropped drew his eyes back up, a little hope swelling in him like an unwanted parasite. Certainly she didn’t plan on remaining in his presence. Sofia’s gaze met his evenly and she frowned a little. “You aren’t?” He managed finally, so softly she barely heard him.

“No. That’s dumb. We’ve been friends for years. I think you are good. I think you’re good even if you didn’t want to be. There’s too many times you could have taken it from me. Or even just asked for it, I suppose.” 

“What?”

Sofia was impatient, glaring at him, “No wonder Wormwood doesn’t think much of you. You’re so slow sometimes, Mister Cedric. Anyway, I won’t trust you again. But I don’t think that you can steal it from me, either. I’d have to willingly give it to you. And it would only do anything you wanted if you were /good/. Power seems to corrupt you.”

“It does.” Cedric felt heat spreading through him again, and he stared at the ground.

“It will take a long time,” Sofia continued, “But I think…It’s unwise to not be friends with the Royal Sorcerer. But know that I am extremely disappointed in you, and that I will /never/ forget you were going to make me literally disappear when you captured my poor friend and tried to steal her comb. You are a wicked man, but there is good in you. When you find it, come to me. Until then, I don’t want to see you, Mister Cedric. I won’t be coming up here anytime soon. You know where my rooms are, when you’ve had enough time thinking about what a terrible man you are. Really. Preying on a small child. Hmph.” She turned regally, despite her appearance of an angry farmhand, “Shame on you.”

There was a pause where wormwood cawed something at her and she sniffed.

“Wormwood you should be careful-you talk in your sleep. And yes, the amulet let’s me talk to animals. Because unlike some people in this room, I am a good and fair person.” She laid her hand on the alcove, “Find me when you’re ready. Think very hard.”

The door shut softly behind her as she left. When Cedric was very certain her footsteps had fully receded he approached the small shelves by his door. There on the shelf were two items, shining dully in the small amount of sunlight filtering in from his one window. The key to his tower lay there, the small purple ribbon tied on it still. That had been a gift from him, so she knew she was special to have a key to his quarters. That he trusted her to not mess with his things, to be good, and to not abuse it. Beside her key lay her amulet. Given freely, certainly no curse would come from him controlling it now. Lifting it in his hand he felt a fresh wave of guilt coat him. How he was going to convince her of his new loyalty was escaping him. Power was nice, but he wanted something more-to be loved and appreciated for who he was. Sofia had given him both with no obstacles. Even now as she had been scolding him she admitted that she loved him and admired him. Suddenly he stood up tall, his fist tight around the amulet. It didn’t matter how long it took or how hard he had to work, he was going to get her to believe that she mattered more than the crown. How to do that when her heart was so completely broken from his betrayal he didn’t know…but there was hope, still. 

And hope was enough.


End file.
